Jeff Gorton Joins NHL Network
The former New York Rangers General Manager has been named a studio analyst.
It was announced on Tuesday that the former general manager of the New York Rangers, Jeff Gorton, was joining the NHL Network as a studio analyst. NHL Network Vice President of Production, Josh Bernstein, stated that, “Having an accomplished executive like Jeff, who possesses a wealth of knowledge about today’s game and players, will help us consistently achieve our goal of providing valuable insight to hockey fans everywhere,” (NHL).
We're excited to welcome Jeff Gorton aboard! pic.twitter.com/UyJIGzVYpx
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) October 5, 2021
The 53-year-old Gorton has spent almost 30 seasons working in the NHL, 14 of which were with the Rangers, beginning in 2007. He became the 11th general manager in 2015, replacing Glen Slather, until his firing this past spring near the end of the 2020-21 season. During his time in the front office on Broadway, the Blueshirts went to the Stanley Cup Playoffs ten times, took a trip to the Finals in 2014, and made appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals in both 2012 and 2015.
Team Owner James Dolan fired Gorton after the Tom Wilson incident, in which the Department of Player Safety failed to suspend Washington Capitals forward after he injured Artemiy Panarin. Additionally, Dolan’s decision to fire Gorton and Team President John Davidson was due to the team’s rebuild not moving fast enough for him, and he said the team needed a change.
During the 2020 IIHF World Championships, Gorton served on the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Group. He also was a guest analyst for the NHL Network during the 2021 NHL Draft this past July, and must have made a good impression.
Following the news, Gorton exclaimed that he is, “really looking forward to joining the staff at NHL Network,” granting him “an exciting opportunity to share [...] knowledge and experiences alongside a group of hockey experts who have a strong passion for the game,” (NHL). He will appear on NHL Tonight, NHL Now and On the Fly. Gorton will make his official on-air debut alongside Tony Luftman and Mike Rupp on Friday, October 15th at 6pm.